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b.1869-d.1910
Introduction
Walter Bannell died in Long Grove in 1910 aged just 40. Sadly, research has revealed that his mother also suffered from mental health problems.
Walter’s parents
Walter was the son of tailor John Edward Bannell and his wife Mary Ann (née Bennett). The couple were married in Christ Church, Cosway Street, Marylebone on the 7th of November 1854.
In the 1871 and 1881 Censuses John’s place of birth was given as Middlesex (Islington and Clerkenwell). However, he was, in fact, born in the village of Horningsham in Wiltshire (on the county border with Somerset) and was baptised in the parish church there on the 7th of January 1827. His parents were John Bannell, an excise officer, and his wife Margaret.
Mary Ann was the daughter of Richard and Catherine Bennett of the village of Stoke-next-Guildford in Surrey. She was born on the 6th of November 1830 and baptised in the village church, St John the Evangelist, on the 19th of December 1830. Mary’s father, Richard, was employed as a bricklayer.
A move to Dorking
At the time of their marriage the couple were living in Suffolk Place, a street off Haymarket in London. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to find John and Mary in the 1861 Census so we do not know where they were living between their marriage and the birth of their first child, Mary Catherine Margaret in Dorking, Surrey, in the 3rd quarter of 1863.
Mary gave birth to a second child, John Charles Edward in the 3rd quarter of 1866, followed, in the 3rd quarter of 1869 by our subject, Walter Henry. In the 1871 Census we find the family living in Hampstead Road in Dorking.
Mary’s mental health problems and a return to London
Sadly, later that same year, on the 1st of May 1871, 40 year-old Mary was admitted to Brookwood Asylum in Woking, suffering from melancholia, what today would be called depression. She was discharged on the 21st of July 1871 described as ‘recovered’. However, whatever improvement there had been in her condition was clearly only temporary as she was readmitted to Brookwood just one week later. She would remain there until the 15th of March 1872 when she was discharged, again described as ‘recovered’.
We do not know who might have helped John to look after his three young children while Mary was in Brookwood as the next time we meet the family is in 1881 when, according to the census of that year, they are living at 4, Fendall Street in Bermondsey, a property of which they appear to have sole possession.
John and Mary are described as ‘tailor’ and ‘tailoress’. Their daughter Mary is also employed as a tailoress and eldest son John is an office boy. Our subject Walter, now aged 11, is still at school. A fourth child, Alfred William, was born to the couple in the 3rd quarter of 1877, when Mary was about 47 years old.
Three tragic deaths and changes in the family
Prior to Alfred’s birth, however, Mary had given birth to three other children, none of whom survived: twins Eleanor Margaret and Frank Edward were born in the 3rd quarter of 1873. Eleanor died in the same quarter and Frank died in the 1st quarter of 1874; Frederick George was born and died in the 2nd quarter of 1876. One can only imagine how these tragedies must have affected Mary’s already fragile mental state.
Further changes were to take place in the family: on the 21st of July 1884, Walter’s brother John, now working as a farrier, married Mary Perry at St Matthew’s Church in Newington; his father, John Edward, died in the 4th quarter of 1887 aged 60 leaving Mary a widow; and his sister Mary married horse-keeper Harry James in St Philip’s Church, Camberwell on the 1st of April 1889.
1891 – Serving on HMS Asia
At the time of the 1891 Census, Walter was serving on HMS Asia (see below). Mary was living with her youngest son, Alfred, at 38 Red Cross Street in Cripplegate, a property they shared with four other families. She was still employed as a tailoress while Alfred was working as an errand boy. However, by the time of his marriage to Elizabeth Palmer at St Alphege’s Church on the 20th of March 1898, Alfred had found employment as a street lamp lighter.
Walter enlists in the Royal Navy
On the 3rd of February 1891 Walter enlisted in the Royal Navy as a stoker. From his enlistment papers we learn that he had previously worked as a labourer, was 5’6½” tall, and had grey eyes, dark hair and a fresh complexion. Interestingly, his date of birth is given as the 24th of August 1870 which contradicts the GRO entry of the 3rd quarter of 1869. Because the work was physically demanding, the minimum age for enlistment as a stoker RN was 18, with an upper age limit of 25. As Walter was 21 at the time of his enlistment there was no need for him to lie about his age so perhaps this was simply a mistake made by the person who filled in the form.
Walter served on the following ships as stoker 2nd class:
HMS Asia from 3rd of February 1891 to 5th of June 1891
HMS Excellent from 6th of June 1891 to 26th of October 1891
And as stoker:
HMS Excellent from the 27th of October 1891 to 3rd of October 1893
HMS Victory II from the 4th of October 1893 to 14th of September 1894
Throughout his service in the Royal Navy, Walter’s character was described as ‘Very Good’. His service ended on the 14th of September 1894, though he had originally signed on for a period of twelve years. No reason is given for the termination of his service. Could it have been due to the mental health problems that would later necessitate his admission to Long Grove?
Mary’s death
We next meet Walter in the 1901 Census where, now aged 31, he is employed as a railway porter and living with his mother at 32, Tarn Street in Newington, a property they share with one other family. Sadly, Mary died the following year.
Walter’s admission to Long Grove and death
We do not know the nature or severity of Walter’s mental health problems or, indeed, when they began, but on the 16th of November 1909 he was admitted to Sheffield Street Receiving Workhouse and Casual Wards, in Westminster. Later the same day he was transferred to St Giles and St George Workhouse in Bloomsbury. Three days later, on the 19th of November 1909, he was transferred to Long Grove where he died on the 22nd of March 1910, aged just 40.
He was buried in Horton Cemetery in grave 717b on the 26th of March 1910.
